Summary / Goals

• Target audience: Employees
• Goal: Deliver a CRM system to track customer contacts and interactions.
• Goal: Integrate with existing ERP, Quoting and Quality systems.
• Goal: Provide intuitive interface with advanced functionalities.
• Goal: Accessible by employees across the globe, including business partners.

Project Overview

On the first day of my role as an eBusiness Manager, I learned that the organization had spent 7 years attempting implementations of various CRM/SFA systems. Thousands of dollars were spent on studies from consulting firms. Each recommended purchasing a packaged CRM system, usually starting at $250,000, which was well beyond the budget. Four employees attempted to build the tool internally only to find the end result unable to meet the organization's needs.

When I was hired, I championed an effort to make this troubled initiative result in a success. I committed to doing this while retaining all of the data residing in "failed" attempts to eliminate the need for data re-entry.

To ensure a quick user adoption rate, I created a series of companion training materials, courses, and promotional materials for internal publication of the system while development of the system was still underway. This helped build interest and address a variety of learning styles.

Three months ahead of schedule, I rolled out a new CRM system that was an instant success. The system was seen as easy-to-use, robust and flexible enough to adapt to unique styles in how people entered and managed information.

The success of this project resulted in the following:

• Ability for managers and executives to easily pull a complete historical record of any customer, lead, or project.
• Elimination of sales offices and paper records.
• Ability to centrally support sales reps from within the corporate office.
• Elimination of field Sales Assistant positions.
• Provide a corporate customer address book for all employees that directly integrated into the e-mail system.